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I can't tell you all how much I appreciate all of the feedback. I have decided to really dive into this motor and learn as much as I can. I will keep you all posted as I progress, which I can assure you will be slow!

Justin

You are gonna fall in love with your A-4.

Get registered on Moyers forum as well. You will be amazed at how fast answers come in from the helpful and knowing people there.

If you plan on keeping the boat, consider the fresh water cooling upgrade from moyer and a prop from:

I can't tell you all how much I appreciate all of the feedback. I have decided to really dive into this motor and learn as much as I can. I will keep you all posted as I progress, which I can assure you will be slow!

You'll find that the two jobs are very similar: Assess damage, perform aid, and evacuate to specialists when necessary.

Seriously though, don't let it intimidate you. An engine is waaaay simpler than the human body, and they are usually much better patients. The parts are a lot cheaper and easier to get too.

02-20-2013 09:51 PM

travlineasy

Re: Atomic 4 inboard vs outboard

Keep in mind that you can purchase a reconditioned A4 for about the same price as you could purchase an equivalent horse-power outboard motor. And, the outboard probably will NEVER last as long as the A4. Check out Moyer Marine Atomic 4 Engine Rebuilding and Parts

If there is one inboard motor that you can maintain yourself, it is the A4!

Thanks for saying this. I am really looking forward to learning how to keep my A4 purring like a kitten, as she is now. This makes me less apprehensive.

02-20-2013 07:44 PM

larsvanness

Re: Atomic 4 inboard vs outboard

"Sailboat on the Rocks" -- watching on YouTube even as we speak...obvious engine failure...And the sails are furled and tucked nicely into their covers!!! Probably he shoulda bought a power boat with twin V-8's and a backup outboard for all the good his furled sails are doing him.

02-20-2013 07:40 PM

steve77

Re: Atomic 4 inboard vs outboard

I also have a 28 ft boat with an A4. The boat is from 1966, the engine has been rebuilt once that I know of. It still runs great. As others have said, the A4 is one of the most popular engines ever built for sailboats. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you (or if I were me, which I am).

You all ready have a back up system -- it's called a sail! You apparently have a sailboat so learn to sail it. I sailed a 32 foot Alden sloop built in 1927 for three years after the Atomic 4 quit for good on me. I was puzzling over what to do with it and the cost of a new motor when a gnarled old mariner growled thru his pipe, "Just learn to sail the damn thing." So I did. Best sailing school I ever attended. As I gained confidence and skill and learned the idiosyncrasies of the old boat I ventured farther and farther off shore Maine coast, Canadian Maritimes, Grand Banks, Nantucket Sound and Long Island Sound until I fetched up on a lee shore in a howling gale and the sea smashed the boat to pieces -- but that's another story for another time.

02-20-2013 06:46 PM

downeast450

Re: Atomic 4 inboard vs outboard

Give yourself some time to learn your A-4. A-4 owners think of themselves as A-4 owners as well as boat owners. When it is healthy it is a reliable friend, a source of personal satisfaction and pride. It is a significant component of your boat! Don't think of it as an accessory. Access can be tough on some boats. Modify the access rather than putting your power plant outside.

A medic is a mechanic!

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